SHOOTFIGHTING is a hybrid sport which combines Muay Thai, Kickboxing and Submission wrestling or Jujitsu. Shootfighting is a complete style in that it is well versed in standup-fighting and in grappling. Shootfighting is considered by many as the sport of the future.
A little bit of history of the International Shootfighting Association, the martial arts/sport of Shootfighting is a recent creation. It had its genesis less than 25 years ago when a famous German wrestler taught the art of real wrestling or “shooting”, to a group of top Japanese martial artist. The wrestling they learned bore only a superficial resemblance to today’s professional wrestling. Two of these Japanese martial artist, Masami Soranaka, practitioner of karate, judo and sumo and Yoshiaki Fujiwara, a Muay Thai kickboxing champion and a judo expert, combined their knowledge of these diverse styles and created what has come to be known as UWF wrestling or the strong style.
Official matches have been held for almost 10 years and the sports popularity has grown till it is now the third most popular spectator sport in Japan behind baseball and sumo. There are currently three main organizations sanctioning matches and teaching the style. Of these the oldest and largest is the Fujiwara Gumi (family) run by the founder and former champion Yoshiaki Fujiwara. The current World Champion of the Fujiwara Gumi is Miami’s BART VALE the first foreigner (American) to reach the highest levels of the sport.
Anyone who has a desire to learn and develop the resources of their physical and inner abilities can study Shootfighting. Progress is on an individual basis.